The Hills, Perth: neighborhood guide

The Hills is not one place. It is four separate groups of suburbs and small towns strung along the roads that climb the Darling Scarp east of the Swan coastal plain where Perth sits. Tourism bodies market the whole area as the Perth Hills, but the parts do not connect well, and the roads between them are narrow and winding.

From north to south: the Swan Hills around Gidgegannup, on the road to Toodyay; the Mundaring Hills, reached over the scarp at Greenmount on the Great Eastern Highway; the Kalamunda Hills around Kalamunda and Lesmurdie; and the Armadale Hills around Roleystone and Karragullen, off the Brookton Highway.

The appeal is bush close to a city. National parks and state forest start within half an hour of the suburbs, and the granite escarpment around Kalamunda and Greenmount once supplied building stone for Perth and Fremantle. The old quarries are now climbing and abseiling spots, including Stathams Quarry in Gooseberry Hill and Mountain Quarry in Boya.

Expect eucalyptus forest, granite outcrops, lookouts over the coastal plain, and small town centres with cafés rather than a single high street. Nights are cooler than the coast and can drop sharply after sunset.

Stay if you have a car and your trip is about walking, wildflowers or a quiet base away from the city. Kalamunda and Mundaring are the practical choices: both have cafés, shops and visitor information, and both can be reached by bus from Midland station, so a car-free stay is possible if you accept infrequent services.

Skip it if you want restaurants, bars and late-night options within walking distance, or if you are relying on public transport for everything. There is no train into the hills and no cross-hills bus, so moving between the four areas without a car is impractical.

Most visitors do not sleep here at all. A day trip from Perth City, Northbridge or the Coast covers a walk, a lookout and lunch, and leaves the evening in town. If you do stay, one or two nights is usually enough, and a car makes the difference between a good stay and a stranded one.

Food in The Hills is café and bakery territory, built around day-trippers and locals rather than a dining scene. Kalamunda and Mundaring have the widest choice: coffee, breakfast, pies and pub meals, with a few small restaurants. Gidgegannup and the Armadale Hills have far less, so plan lunch around a town centre rather than assuming something will appear on the road.

Hours are the trap. Many kitchens close by mid-afternoon, and some places shut early in the week or in winter. Book ahead for weekend lunch in wildflower season, when the hills fill up. For dinner, either eat before you drive back or check that your accommodation or the nearest pub is serving.

If food is the point of your trip, the Swan Valley wine and food area sits on the other side of the scarp and pairs well with a hills day. Otherwise, Perth City and Northbridge carry the late options.

By car is the default. From central Perth, allow about 30–45 minutes to Kalamunda or Mundaring depending on traffic. The Great Eastern Highway climbs the scarp at Greenmount and is the main entry to the Mundaring area; Kalamunda and Lesmurdie are reached by Kalamunda and Welshpool roads; the Armadale Hills by the Brookton Highway.

By train and bus, the Transperth train from Perth ends at Midland interchange, where buses fan out through the foothills and Mundaring localities. A Swan View bus gets you close to John Forrest National Park. Services are infrequent, and there is no bus crossing the hills between Mundaring and Kalamunda, so build the day around one area.

Linking the areas by road is also limited. Between Mundaring and Kalamunda the useful routes are Mundaring Weir Road, or Scott Street at Greenmount via Ridge Hill Road to Gooseberry Hill Road. Both are winding; drive them in daylight and watch for cyclists, who use these roads on marked routes from Midland.

Taxis and rideshare exist but are thin and expensive once you are off the main roads. If you are staying without a car, choose Kalamunda or Mundaring and confirm your host can help with lifts.